Description: (Taken directly from the application) The Pilot and Feasibility (P/F) Program of the University of Massachusetts Medical School DERC has three principal goals. The first is to provide startup funding for new investigators preparing to embark on careers in diabetes- and endocrinology-related research. The second is to provide established investigators with the opportunity to develop new technologies that may enhance diabetes-related research. The final goal is to enable established investigators in other fields to initiate research in areas that are related to diabetes. Related to each of these goals is the provision of support and guidance that will allow P/F Program awardees to compete successfully for the extramural funding that will allow them to remain active in diabetes-related research.